BR IE FING U.S. C O M M IS S IO N O N CIVIL RIG HT S. Washington, DC Official Business Penalty for Private Use $300

Transcription

1 U. S. C O M M I S S I O N O N C I V I L R I G H T S M i nor i t i e s i n Speci a l E duc at ion BR IE FING R E P O R U.S. C O M M IS S IO N O N CIVIL RIG HT S Washington, DC Official Business Penalty for Private Use $300 Visit us on the Web: APRIL 2009 T

2 U.S. Commission on Civil Rights The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights is an independent, bipartisan agency established by Congress in It is directed to: Investigate complaints alleging that citizens are being deprived of their right to vote by reason of their race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin, or by reason of fraudulent practices. Study and collect information relating to discrimination or a denial of equal protection of the laws under the Constitution because of race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin, or in the administration of justice. Appraise federal laws and policies with respect to discrimination or denial of equal protection of the laws because of race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin, or in the administration of justice. Serve as a national clearinghouse for information in respect to discrimination or denial of equal protection of the laws because of race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin. Submit reports, findings, and recommendations to the President and Congress. Issue public service announcements to discourage discrimination or denial of equal protection of the laws. Members of the Commission Gerald A. Reynolds, Chairman Abigail Thernstrom, Vice Chair Todd Gaziano Gail Heriot Peter N. Kirsanow Arlan D. Melendez Ashley L. Taylor, Jr. Michael Yaki Martin Dannenfelser, Staff Director U.S. Commission on Civil Rights 624 Ninth Street, NW Washington, DC (202) (202) TTY This report is available on disk in ASCII Text and Microsoft Word 2003 for persons with visual impairments. Please call (202)

3 Minorities in Special Education A Briefing Before The United States Commission on Civil Rights Held in Washington, DC, December 3, 2007 Briefing Report

4

5 Table of Contents iii Table of Contents Introduction... v Executive Summary... 1 Summary of Proceedings...5 Panel One... 5 Stephanie Monroe... 5 Martin Gould... 6 Reginald Felton...6 Discussion... 8 Panel Two Matthew Ladner Daniel J. Reschly Hilary Shelton Peter Zamora William Hurd Discussion Statements Stephanie Monroe: Minorities and Limited English Proficient Students in Special Education Martin Gould: National Council on Disability Written Remarks Reginald M. Felton: Minorities and Limited English Proficient (LEP) Students in Special Education Matthew Ladner: Minority Children and Special Education: Evidence of Racial Bias and Strategies to Avoid Misdiagnosis Daniel J. Reschly: Minority Special Education Disproportionality: Findings and Misconceptions Daniel J. Reschly: Minority Special Education Disproportionality: Findings and Misconceptions PowerPoint Presentation Hilary O. Shelton: On the Overrepresentation of Racial and Ethnic Minority Children and Limited English Proficient Children in Special Education Classes Peter Zamora: Minorities in Special Education William H. Hurd: Racial Discrepancies in Special Education Public Comments

6 iv Minorities in Special Education Charlotte Greenbarg, President of the Broward Coalition, Inc Unidentified Bilingual Education Teacher in Massachusetts Other Submissions Statements of Commissioners Gail Heriot Arlan D. Melendez Abigail Thernstrom Michael Yaki Speaker Biographies Stephanie J. Monroe Martin Gould Reginald M. Felton Matthew Ladner Daniel J. Reschly Hilary O. Shelton Peter A. Zamora William H. Hurd

7 Introduction v Introduction On December 3, 2007, eight experts briefed members of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights on whether blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans, and Limited English Proficient (LEP) students are misplaced in special education programs more often as a proportion of the general education student population, than their white, Asian, or non-lep peers; and the nature, extent, and possible causes of any misplacement. In addition, the panelists were asked to give their views on what the federal government, schools, and parents could do to address the issue. A transcript of this briefing is available on the Commission s Web site ( and by request from the Publications Office, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, 624 Ninth Street, NW, Room 600, Washington, DC 20425, (202) , publications@usccr.gov. The experts, on two panels, were Ms. Stephanie Monroe, Assistant Secretary, Office for Civil Rights (OCR), U.S. Department of Education. Dr. Martin Gould, Director of Technology and Research at the National Council on Disability. Mr. Reginald Felton, Director of Federal Relations at the National School Board Association. Dr. Matthew Ladner, Vice President of Research for the Goldwater Institute. Dr. Daniel Reschly, Professor of Education and Psychology at Peabody College, Vanderbilt University. Mr. Hilary Shelton, Director of the NAACP, Washington, D.C. Bureau. Mr. Peter Zamora, Washington, D.C. Regional Counsel for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund. Mr. William Hurd, Partner, Troutman Sanders, Richmond Office.

8

9 Executive Summary 1 Executive Summary The first panelist, Assistant Secretary Monroe, asserted that a 1982 nationwide survey conducted by the National Academy of Sciences found that certain minorities were overrepresented in special education programs nationally, 1 and that more recent surveys had resulted in similar findings. Since 1993, OCR has conducted hundreds of compliance reviews on minorities in special education, and launched another major initiative in In addition, since 2003, Ms. Monroe recounted, OCR has conducted 61 compliance reviews and received 144 related complaints. As a result of these reviews, OCR has identified compliance concerns such as teachers referring minority but not white students despite apparent similarities in circumstance; the use of different tests for minority and white students; and the placement of minority students in separate classes while white students are placed in regular classrooms. She stated that after OCR s completion of the first tier of such compliance reviews, there was a decrease in the number of minorities referred for special education. Ms. Monroe also stated that OCR has succeeded in improving access to gifted programs for minority and LEP students. The next panelist, Dr. Gould, noted that according to many government reports, when subjective rather than objective criteria are used, overrepresentation in special education is concentrated among three minority groups. The three groups are blacks, Hispanics, and American Indian and Native Alaskans. He reported that Asian American children are underrepresented in special education. He agreed with Assistant Secretary Monroe in viewing the use of subjective criteria as leading to inaccuracies, and recommended the use of more objective assessments. In addition, he suggested that it is important for the Department of Education to continue to collect, publish, and monitor data, surveys, and/or reports to support the effective enforcement of civil rights laws in education. Mr. Reginald Felton agreed that minority and LEP students are disproportionately represented in special education programs. He disagreed, however, with the view that minorities were misidentified more than non-minorities. He found it disturbing that some minorities were disproportionately very low-income, and expressed the belief that disregarding factors such as income and other sociological data would result in ineffective remedies for minorities in educational settings. He argued, however, that overrepresentation alone does not imply misidentification, and that the majority of identified students meet the legal definitions for eligibility. He also disagreed that schools had an incentive to place students in special education, since such services are costly and not adequately funded by the federal government. Dr. Matthew Ladner also agreed that certain minorities were disproportionately represented in special education. He offered findings drawn from his studies on special education for the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, which found, after controlling for school spending, poverty, and other such factors, that minority students were placed into special education at higher rates in majority white public school districts, compared to districts with higher percentages 1 K. A. Heller, W. H. Holtzman, S. Messick (eds.), Placing Children in Special Education: A Strategy for Equity, (Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1982).

10 2 Minorities in Special Education of minority students. He recommended adoption of the conclusions of the President s Commission on Excellence in Special Education, 2 which suggested screening of students even before any signs of academic or other difficulties arise, and the provision of greater options for parents dissatisfied with public school services. 3 Dr. Reschly offered statistics from Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 4 data, showing that only a very small proportion of black students (under two percent), are classified as mentally retarded. He expressed the belief that teachers and others have drawn incorrect and unfortunate stereotypes about black students because school officials and others interpret this data incorrectly. He explained that educators and policy makers confuse risk statistics (the probability that a certain ethnic group will be classified a certain way), with composition statistics (ethnic composition within a certain classification). He also observed that stigmas may be associated with special education in low-income areas, but not suburban areas. He asserted that mild mental retardation is subjectively determined, but that severe levels of mental retardation are objectively determined, and that all these categories are problematic for schools. Mr. Shelton noted his concern that special education has historically been used as a vehicle for discrimination against minorities. He countered Mr. Felton s statement that most minorities are appropriately placed in special education, arguing that the disproportionate numbers of minorities in special education are the result of inappropriate placements. He further contended that special education in predominantly minority schools is often a distinct place within the school where there is little learning, not a set of carefully tailored and appropriate services. He recommended increasing federal oversight and enforcement, and giving parents and students a private right of action for complaints specific to racial overrepresentation. Mr. Zamora offered an analysis of disproportionality from the point of view of English Language Learners (ELL). He spoke of the misclassification of ELLs as special education students and noted that ELLs are the fastest growing subgroup of students in U.S. public schools, increasing ten percent annually. He argued that the primary reason for inappropriate student placements in special education is that teachers lack sufficient training in both special education and English language acquisition. He suggested that districts implement a prereferral process and support continuing teacher education programs to better equip teachers to deal with such students. Mr. Hurd expressed the belief that minorities are at a disadvantage at every step of a placement appeal because of fewer economic resources and non-participation in parental support groups relevant to the issues. He expressed the belief that a solution to misidentification would be the greater involvement of parents in their children s education, and undertaking statistical studies that identified specific correlations with socioeconomic 2 U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, A New Era: Revitalizing Special Education for Children and Their Families, Washington, DC, 2002, (accessed Jan. 30, 2009) 3 Ibid. 4 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C et. seq.

11 Executive Summary 3 factors. He reviewed the workings of the special education placement process, stating that in theory the parents and the school system are supposed to work as equal partners creating an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for the student. He expressed the belief that in practice parents are not fully equal partners, although the law authorizes parents to appeal a child s placement if they think it is inappropriate. However, he contended that because these appeals are often costly and because minorities often have less income, minority parents disproportionately do not challenge their children s placements. As a result, he argued, schools often offer minority students fewer and sometimes ineffective services because school officials assume these placements will go unchallenged. He stated that if parents had greater control over their child s education they would feel more involved and, as a result, their child s education would improve. During the question and answer period, the panelists fielded questions from the Commissioners dealing with several issues: The effect of inappropriate placement in special education on student progress Reasons for a larger percentage of students being placed in special education in lower income school districts as compared to middle income districts The role of behavioral problems as a contributing factor in minority placements in special education The necessity of using the special education label to improve academic performance The extent to which funding availability influences the effectiveness of local special education programs The effectiveness of Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings Special education referral, determination, and evaluation factors Parental involvement in the special education referral process compliance versus non-compliance The relationship between family structure, early reading ability, and special education placements The effects of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) 5 and the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) 6 5 No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, 20 U.S.C et. seq. 6 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C et. seq.

12

13 Summary of Proceedings 5 Summary of Proceedings Panel One Stephanie Monroe Assistant Secretary Stephanie Monroe addressed the disproportionate representation of minorities and limited English proficient students in special education. She asserted that NCLB was designed to ensure that all students are appropriately assessed and educated according to the requirements she viewed as set forth in Brown v. Board of Education, 1 Lau v. Nichols, 2 and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of The goal of NCLB is to provide all students with the basic right to equal educational opportunities. Ms. Monroe suggested that the disproportionate representation of minorities in special education was a nationwide issue, 4 noting that minority students constitute a majority of students in special education programs. She further stated that there are disparities in the implementation of special education between minorities and non-minority students. For example, minority special education students are often placed in self-contained classrooms while similarly situated non-minority students are educated in regular classrooms. 5 In addition, she stated that over the last ten years, while the number of LEP students has increased by 61 percent, the number of LEP students in special education has more than doubled. 6 Monroe stated that to address these disparities, OCR instituted a more rigorous review of teacher referral and student assessment standards. 7 Through this commitment, Monroe expressed the belief there have been life-changing results. 8 She also stated that special education services are now assigned more efficiently, in that they are targeting only those who legitimately need special education services while decreasing the number of inappropriate referrals. 9 1 Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 (1954). 2 Lau v. Nichols, 414 U.S. 563 (1974) U.S.C. 2000d. 4 Stephanie Monroe, testimony, Briefing before the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, Minorities in Special Education, Washington, DC, Dec. 3, 2007, transcript, p. 12 (hereafter cited as Monroe Testimony, Briefing Transcript). 5 Monroe Testimony, Briefing Transcript, p Ibid., p Ibid., p Ibid., p Ibid., p. 18.

14 6 Minorities in Special Education Martin Gould Dr. Martin Gould noted that the problem of minority overrepresentation in special education has been consistently well-documented, but not well understood. 10 He focused on three of the thirteen recognized disabilities in the IDEA: emotional disturbance, mental retardation, and learning disability. He considered them subjectively determined categories, which he referred to as judgmental disabilities. 11 Dr. Gould identified three racial and ethnic groups that are traditionally overrepresented in special education: African American, American Indian/Native Alaskan, and Hispanics. He noted that the other two groups white and Asian American students are not overrepresented. According to Dr. Gould, Asian American students were actually underrepresented in special education and overrepresented in gifted and talented programs. 12 Dr. Gould asserted that there are four problems in the proper measurement of disproportionality. 13 First, he expressed the belief that there is no national consensus on a precise definition of measurement, and further, while there are guidelines, there are no mandated requirements for the states to follow. Second, he expressed the belief that little medical evidence is typically available to confirm or refute an eligibility decision, creating variability. Third, he expressed the belief that there is no consistent measurement method, creating much difficulty in assessing the extent of the disproportionality. Finally, he stated that there is inconsistency of definition among the school districts in terms of determining a student s race, including bi-racial students. 14 Dr. Gould s recommendation to the Commission was that schools focus on monitoring data in various reports, such as a civil rights compliance report, 15 using surveys and/or reports as a tool to gather data and for enforcing civil rights laws in education. He also recommended that the Commission explore the effectiveness of these methods at the state and local levels. 16 Finally, he maintained that without addressing the persistent factors causing disproportionality among minorities in special education, the problem will continue to grow. Reginald Felton Mr. Reginald Felton agreed that minorities were overrepresented in special education in public schools compared to their proportions in the general student population. Dispelling the 10 Martin Gould, testimony, Briefing before the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, Minorities in Special Education, Washington, DC, Dec. 3, 2007, transcript, p. 21 (hereafter cited as Gould Testimony, Briefing Transcript). 11 Gould Testimony, Briefing Transcript, p Ibid., p Ibid., p Ibid., p Ibid., p Ibid., p. 31.

15 Summary of Proceedings 7 common claim that these students are improperly placed, however, he suggested that the majority of these students do meet the legal definitions for such eligibility. 17 He stated that students in poverty face greater challenges of many kinds, and that minority students are disproportionately in poverty. 18 They may, therefore, disproportionately qualify for special education. Furthermore, he suggested that proposing solutions for the disproportionality without also addressing these underlying problems would be ineffective. He also expressed the view that Congress provides school districts insufficient funds to implement effective special education programs. 19 He noted the addition of two new provisions during IDEA s most recent reauthorization in 2004 that provide schools with greater support. 20 The first provision allows school districts to set aside funding for student evaluations but does not require students to be formally designated as special education students. He felt that this potentially could result in allowing teachers to grant needed services to students without the stigma of labeling. He expressed the belief that the second new provision could be more beneficial, which relieves local districts of the cost of providing certain special education resources to students by shifting the cost of non-education resources for special education students from local jurisdictions to statewide agencies. Mr. Felton further urged that additional studies be undertaken regarding LEP students. He recommended that by assessing and identifying LEP students using specific eligibility standards unique to them, rather than using the broader standards applicable to students with disabilities, schools could provide better outcomes. 21 Finally, he urged implementation of a program called universal design learning. He stated that this program would benefit all students not only those in special education because of its flexible approach both to curriculum and presentation of information. This program accommodates the many learning needs and styles by adapting the curriculum to the student rather than the student to the curriculum. Lastly, he stated that, while not a panacea, incorporating non-traditional methods of presentation of information and assessment promises to engage all types of learners. This approach could potentially reduce the increasing dropout rates among non-asian minorities, he suggested Reginald Felton, testimony, Briefing before the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, Minorities in Special Education, Washington, DC, Dec. 3, 2007, transcript, p. 32 (hereafter cited as Felton Testimony, Briefing Transcript). 18 Felton Testimony, Briefing Transcript, p Ibid., p Ibid., p Ibid., p Ibid., p. 40.

16 8 Minorities in Special Education Discussion Commissioner Kirsanow asked Mr. Felton whether there were any data that showed how an inappropriate placement in special education adversely affected student progress. Mr. Felton cited research stating that when students are ineffectively taught for extended periods, the disparity in academic performance and advancement between these students and other betterplaced students can widen by as much as 50 percent. 23 Commissioner Braceras observed that in affluent districts, parents often seek to have their children placed in special education programs, even if it is inappropriate, because special education students are afforded more one-on-one attention in areas of reading, writing, and arithmetic. Mr. Felton agreed, but added that in all special education there needs to be appropriate follow-up, assessment of progress, and reevaluation of goals. 24 Vice Chair Thernstrom stated that disproportionality alone is not evidence of discriminatory placements in special education. She also stated, and Mr. Felton agreed, that often students are misplaced in special education because of behavioral problems. Teachers unable to cope with such problems may refer problematic students to special education classes rather than adjusting their teaching methods. 25 Assistant Secretary Monroe agreed with Mr. Felton on this point, and noted that inappropriate placements not only do a disservice to the inappropriately placed students, but also to the students that need the services but cannot get them due to space limitations. Ms. Monroe pointed to OCR-conducted compliance reviews that indicated a 74 percent disparity in proportion, which OCR investigated for misplacements. In many of these, the children were re-tested and found not to qualify for special education programs. Ms. Monroe noted that NCLB will generate more accountability, and thus more legitimate placements. 26 Commenting on Commissioner Braceras s contention that an affluent parent of a disruptive child immediately tries to get him or her into special education, Ms. Monroe acknowledged that parents understandably use whatever tools are at hand to help their child. She observed, however, that such actions may indicate that the parents feel disengaged from the school. She argued that if parents are informed of the entire range of services, not just the ones that inappropriately drain the school system of funds, there can be a much more effective resolution that is specifically tailored to the child. 27 Commissioner Braceras responded by suggesting that certain districts often will not address a child s problems unless he is labeled special ed. Accordingly, Commissioner Braceras asked if there was any harm with placing students in special education inappropriately if the 23 Briefing before the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, Minorities in Special Education, Washington, DC, Dec. 3, 2007, transcript, p. 43 (hereafter cited as Minorities in Special Education, Briefing Transcript). 24 Minorities in Special Education, Briefing Transcript, p Ibid., p Ibid., p Ibid., p. 53.

17 Summary of Proceedings 9 placements benefit the students. Mr. Felton responded that the broader challenge is to ensure that all children get essential education services without the necessity of labeling. 28 Commissioner Melendez asked whether the Department of Education had any position on universal screening processes that tested all children at an early age for learning disabilities rather than basing placements on teacher recommendations. He further inquired as to whether the department was providing research grants or identifying best practices in the area of universal screening. Ms. Monroe stated that she did not know, but deferred to the department s Office of Special Education Programs. 29 Mr. Felton responded by reasserting his earlier point that the ultimate goal is to implement something that will help the student. He stated that whatever the student evaluation process is, appropriate assessment and follow-up is essential to its effectiveness. Dr. Gould also responded to Commissioner Melendez s early screening inquiry, stating that early screening often is predicated on a school s ability to secure Medicaid resources. 30 Commissioner Yaki asked whether students are placed into programs that are already wellfunded, or if students are placed in programs specific to their needs regardless of current funding. 31 Mr. Felton suggested that due to insufficient funding, school districts can provide very limited support, but that the law mandates that certain services be provided. Thus, to secure these services, local districts often need to work with state legislatures. 32 Dr. Gould added that he hoped universities would address the increase in the number of students in public schools with special needs, such as autism. He stated that universities should include special education as part of their curriculums. 33 Commissioner Taylor asked Dr. Gould if there was an overrepresentation of non-asian minorities in those special education categories defined by subjective factors. 34 Dr. Gould responded that the research and government reports indicate that they are overrepresented. Commissioner Taylor then asked if there was an overrepresentation of non-asian minorities in those special education categories defined by objective factors such as testing. 35 Dr. Gould responded that government reports using OCR data and research reports outside of government research do not so indicate. Commissioner Taylor suggested that, when the determinations are based solely on objective factors, there is no overrepresentation of minorities in special education. 36 He then argued that minority overrepresentation and misrepresentation in special education are related because of the inherent subjectivity in the placement process. Dr. Gould responded that it is hard to draw conclusions because of the 28 Ibid., p Ibid., p Ibid., p Ibid., p Ibid., p Ibid., p Ibid., p Ibid., p Ibid., p. 67.

18 10 Minorities in Special Education inevitable variability that results from the different make-up of each IEP committee, which he stated is mandated by IDEA. 37 Chairman Reynolds then asked if the subjective decision to take disruptive students out of class helped explain misidentification in special education. He also asked whether this problem was exacerbated when dealing with children from impoverished homes with little support and intellectual stimulation. Those students, he said, are often disengaged from and uninterested in the classroom discussion, which results in their becoming disruptive. Mr. Felton agreed, stating that there is sufficient research to suggest a relationship between poverty, health, and classroom performance. He urged the Commission to determine whether the special education evaluation system discriminates against disruptive students or whether there are valid reasons for providing the students the additional support services. 38 Assistant Secretary Monroe disagreed, stating that it is incorrect to generalize the existence of a link between poverty and the ability to learn. She pointed out that there are many examples of success coming from schools such as the KIPP Academy in which the majority of the students are impoverished and, indeed, live in the most dire circumstances. The key to such success, she asserted, was a combination of highly qualified, engaged teachers, involved parents, and reasonable student-teacher ratios. 39 Commissioner Heriot asked whether there was disproportionality in special education placements in terms of gender and, if so, whether this casts doubt on the racial disproportionality in special education. She noted that boys are disproportionately diagnosed as requiring special education. Ms. Monroe stated that more gender-based research needs to be done to determine the cause of the disproportionality because the tests are currently highly subjective. 40 Commissioner Heriot then asked whether disproportionality in learning disabilities was actually an exclusively white, upper-middle class phenomenon. Dr. Gould responded that learning disabilities are not overwhelmingly prevalent in majority white schools. Instead, in those schools, non-asian minorities are at a higher risk for being identified with learning disabilities, specifically math and/or reading disabilities. 41 Finally, Vice Chair Thernstrom addressed the many outside circumstances that minority students often face poor housing, little at-home support, and lack of high-quality health care. The Vice Chair stated that while these problems need to be addressed; they are not issues that the school systems can or should address. She stated that a school s sole objective is to provide a high quality education. Mr. Felton agreed, but added that educational services 37 Ibid., p. 68. See also 20 U.S.C et. seq. 38 Minorities in Special Education, Briefing Transcript, pp Ibid., p Ibid., pp Ibid., p. 78.

19 Summary of Proceedings 11 need to be provided in an equitable manner, meaning that certain schools will require a greater investment than others. 42 Panel Two Matthew Ladner Dr. Matthew Ladner compared the disparities in minority special education between majority white and non-white schools. He cited various works, including a joint study by the Progressive Policy Institute and the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation titled Rethinking Special Education for a New Century, which found that minority students in predominantly white schools are placed in special education at much higher rates than minorities in predominantly minority schools. Specifically, Dr. Ladner noted an inverse relationship in which as a school s minority numbers diminish, minority representation in special education increases. 43 Dr. Ladner recommended per the President s Commission on Excellence in Special Education the elimination of the financial incentives to label students as special education. 44 He also said that the focus should be on early testing and constant, consistent academic remediation, rather than continuing the current wait to fail approach. Student, teacher, and administrator accountability should be increased so as to limit resources to only those who actually need them. He stated further that placement into categories must be objectively, not subjectively, determined. Finally, he expressed the view that parents roles should be increased, with more options placed at their disposal. 45 Daniel J. Reschly Dr. Dan Reschly first addressed statistics based on IDEA data. 46 He reported that African American students constitute 33 percent of students classified as mentally retarded who are placed in special education, despite the fact that African American students only comprise fifteen percent of the general student population, ages six to twenty-one. At the same time, he indicated that the overall percentage of black students classified as mentally retarded was less than two percent (1.7 percent) of all African American students attending school Ibid., p Matthew Ladner, testimony, Briefing before the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, Minorities in Special Education, Washington, DC, Dec. 3, 2007, transcript, p. 86 (hereafter cited as Ladner Testimony, Briefing Transcript). 44 See U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, A New Era: Revitalizing Special Education for Children and Their Families, Washington, DC, 2002, (accessed on Jan. 30, 2009). 45 Ladner Testimony, Briefing Transcript, p See 20 U.S.C (b) and (d). 47 Daniel J. Reschly, testimony, Briefing before the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, Minorities in Special Education, Washington, DC, Dec. 3, 2007, transcript, p. 92 (hereafter cited as Reschly Testimony, Briefing Transcript).

20 12 Minorities in Special Education He stated that these contrasting numbers surprise educators and policy makers because risk statistics are often confused with composition statistics. Risk statistics provide the probability that a certain student will be classified a certain way within his or her respective group. Composition statistics identify the probability that a certain student within a certain classification e.g., mentally retarded will be of a certain race or ethnicity. He claimed that this confusion leads to the unfortunate stereotype that a very large proportion of African Americans are in special education. This is not the case, he suggested, as the majority of African Americans are in general education. 48 Another statistical calculation that Dr. Reschly finds useful is the relative risk ratio, which compares the relative risks of different ethnic or racial groups. Dr. Reschly also pointed to the problem of stigma associated with special education, which stems from certain societal assumptions. One assumption is that special education is a distinct and ineffective place physically separating students rather than supplying a student with a specific set of services. He stated that this assumption is rooted in the discrepancy between special education programs in majority-minority schools versus those in majority white and Asian schools. Special education in the minority schools will often be a distinct learning environment with a separate curriculum that offers few opportunities. 49 In majority white and Asian schools, however, special education services more successfully meet students needs. Dr. Reschly contended that this disparity accounts for the reason parents in majority white and majority Asian districts push very hard for their children to receive special education services, while parents in majority-minority districts try very hard not to have their children placed in special education. 50 Dr. Reschly further stated that many errors are made by the IEP committees to the same extent regardless of racial and ethnic status, since the subjective nature of much of the process makes it subject to many errors. 51 He proposed an equitable distribution of educational resources to alleviate minority disproportionality in special education. He stated that low income school districts often have the least qualified teachers with the least resources at their disposal teaching students with the most needs and conversely, the best teachers teaching the students with the least needs. In conclusion, Dr. Reschly recommended greater emphasis on prevention of incorrect referrals through teaching reading effectively; and greater rigor in evaluation and improvement of special education Reschly Testimony, Briefing Transcript, p Ibid., p Ibid., p Ibid., p Ibid., p. 100.

21 Summary of Proceedings 13 Hilary Shelton Mr. Hilary Shelton argued that the disproportionate number of minorities in special education is the result of the use of inappropriate criteria. He maintained that the traditional practice of using special education as a means to segregate minority students from the class at large, in some instances, still continues. He offered another explanation for the disproportion a high frequency of behavioral difficulties coupled with poor classroom management that is common in lower income, minority schools. These behavioral problems often lead to special education referrals and placements, he contended. He questioned the validity of standardized tests used to make placement decisions, based on his view that students with different life experiences can t be adequately tested using such standards. His view is that these assessments fail to account for student diversity of experiences, and are therefore inappropriate and inaccurate. 53 Mr. Shelton stated that once a student is placed in special education, it is very difficult for him/her to be reclassified in general education. Further, students who are inappropriately placed receive ineffective education that is continually reinforced if they are not removed from special education. Therefore, students often graduate without even minimal proficiency and, in some cases, are led to believe this minimal level is sufficient. The result, he stated, is that these students have few prospects even for menial, low-income jobs. 54 Mr. Shelton suggested that there be general accountability in special education to reduce the disproportion and that there be an increase in local and federal oversight wherever there are substantial disparities. Additionally, he expressed the belief that parents and students should have the right to seek judicial review of complaints specific to racial disproportionality. 55 Peter Zamora Mr. Peter Zamora addressed the misclassification of ELLs in special education. He noted that ELLs are the fastest growing subgroup of students in U.S. public schools, increasing ten percent annually. He countered the common assumption that the majority of ELLs are foreign-born, citing studies that show that native-born ELLs make up 76 and 56 percent of elementary and secondary school populations respectively. Further, he noted that over half of the ELLs in secondary schools are second- and third-generation citizens. 56 He suggested that misclassification of ELLs into special education is a significant problem. Mr. Zamora argued that statistics show that in the school year, up to three-fourths of ELL special education students were improperly placed. He stated that while research showed varying results between states and districts, generally, it appeared that ELLs are 53 Hilary Shelton, testimony, Briefing before the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, Minorities in Special Education, Washington, DC, Dec. 3, 2007, transcript, p. 105 (hereafter cited as Shelton Testimony, Briefing Transcript). 54 Shelton Testimony, Briefing Transcript, p Ibid., Peter Zamora, testimony, Briefing before the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, Minorities in Special Education, Washington, DC, Dec. 3, 2007, transcript, p. 110 (hereafter cited as Zamora Testimony, Briefing Transcript).

22 14 Minorities in Special Education more likely to be placed in special education in districts that serve a smaller number of such students. He suggested a possible reason for this is that school districts with fewer ELLs may be less able to distinguish between low achievement due to language difficulty versus a learning disability. Moreover, he expressed the belief that the primary reason for the misclassification of ELLs is that teachers often lack sufficient training in both special education and English language acquisition that would allow them to distinguish between the two. 57 Mr. Zamora suggested that continuing teacher education as well as a pre-referral process should be implemented to improve ELL services. He also suggested that the state and federal government should be supportive of programs that encourage teachers and prospective teachers to develop expertise in English language development. This would increase the likelihood that students would not be inappropriately placed in special education. In terms of the pre-referral processes, he suggested that school-created teacher assistance teams should be implemented. These teams would consist of classroom teachers who would examine whether underperforming students were receiving high quality instruction. The team would meet to discuss the evaluation process and develop action plans to correct apparent problems. As this process should precede student involvement in special education, its primary benefit would be to identify non-disability-related causes of academic underperformance, thereby reducing inappropriate placement of ELLs in special education. Lastly, in addition to the teacher assistance teams, he recommended that school staff conduct early screening of all students to determine which students need closer monitoring or intervention. The objective of these programs would be to identify students with, or at risk for, learning disabilities early in their education. 58 William Hurd Mr. William Hurd began by describing the way the special education system works in practice. He stated that, in theory, the parents and the school system are supposed to work as equal partners in creating an IEP for the student; however, he suggested that this is often not the case. Typically, the school controls the process while the parents are passive participants. Nevertheless, this partnership is supposed to decide, through consensus, how the services should be administered. If there is a disagreement between the parents and the school system during this process, the law provides the parents the right to a neutral due process hearing where they can challenge the school s placement on grounds that it is inappropriate, and propose an appropriate alternative. 59 Mr. Hurd asserted that, in practice, the problems resulting from this process become apparent when comparing special education programs in lower income schools from those in wealthier 57 Zamora Testimony, Briefing Transcript, p Ibid., p William Hurd, testimony, Briefing before the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, Minorities in Special Education, Washington, DC, Dec. 3, 2007, transcript, p. 118 (hereafter cited as Hurd Testimony, Briefing Transcript).

23 Summary of Proceedings 15 districts. The due process hearings are often costly because even if the parents win, they are only reimbursed for their attorney s fees, not for their expert witness fees. These costs often deter parents in lower socio-economic classes from challenging their child s special education placement. Further, because a disproportionate number of blacks and Hispanics belong to lower socio-economic classes, this deterrent effect disproportionately affects them. Mr. Hurd stated that a study by the General Accounting Office (GAO) that looked at household income and number of hearing requests in the year 2003 substantiates this claim. The GAO study reported that there was a significant positive correlation between household income and frequency of hearing requests, and concluded that households with lower income are far less likely to seek due process hearings than households with higher income. 60 Mr. Hurd described the forces that contribute to inappropriate identification of low-income students, including budgetary constraints brought about by inadequate federal funding that, although initially set at 40 percent of special education costs, is now down to about 18 percent. Such budgetary constraints provide a considerable incentive for school officials to assess in an initial IEP meeting how compliant parents will be in the special education process. The end result, he suggested, is that districts offer more compliant parents fewer special education services, and if compliant parents are disproportionately minority, may reflect reflexive racial stereotyping, 61 and unintentionally disparate treatment. Mr. Hurd recommended that the Commission look into statistics to compare the numbers of due process hearings sought by minorities to the number of minorities in special education. He also suggested that the Commission do a detailed regression analysis to determine the amount of minority disproportionality that is race-related and how much is socioeconomically related. Finally, he expressed the belief that for special education to work the way it should, parents must assert themselves and become involved in the process, advocating for their children. He expressed the belief that by including more parents in the process, special education would become more effective overall. Discussion Commissioner Kirsanow opened the discussion by asking Dr. Ladner whether he was able to find any data demonstrating that a greater proportion of minority students are assigned to special education classes in majority white school districts. He also asked Dr. Ladner whether there were any data that substantiated Mr. Hurd s point that in the initial IEP meetings, minority parents are more compliant. 62 Dr. Ladner responded that the data substantiated the view that minority students in suburban districts are more likely to be labeled as special education than minority students in innercities with larger proportions of minority students. He then recommended that the 60 Hurd Testimony, Briefing Transcript, p Ibid., p Minorities in Special Education, Briefing Transcript, pp

24 16 Minorities in Special Education Commission review a study entitled the McKay Scholarship Program 63 in Florida for possible solutions to these inequities. He stated that this program allows the parents to receive money that would otherwise be used for their child s special education and use it in another public or private school as they see fit. Mr. Ladner pointed to a Manhattan Institute study by Jay Greene, 64 which he characterized as finding that the parents of the 18,000 students who participated in this program were satisfied because this program provided them with some responsibility for and leverage over their children s education. 65 Commissioner Kirsanow then asked the panel whether they had an opinion as to how much students reading abilities factor in to their placement in special education programs as compared to disincentives built into a due process hearing. Dr. Reschly responded that reading ability is either the first or second reason for the placement 80 percent of the time. He added that the data support the correlation between fewer behavioral problems and increased reading skills. Dr. Ladner stated that, while reading ability often determines a child s special education placement, students inability to read proficiently is often the result of inadequate schools and teaching. He suggested that the solution is to place significant emphasis on a high quality reading education in the early grades, particularly before fourth grade. Minority students in urban minority schools often begin their education with fewer reading skills than their suburban counterparts; therefore, Dr. Ladner recommended that there be a much greater emphasis on early reading education. If students who do not read proficiently are nevertheless promoted each year, their difficulties are compounded yearly and often result in inappropriate placements in special education. He stated that this is especially problematic because it reduces places for students that truly need these services. 66 Commissioner Kirsanow then asked to what extent family structure contributes to student difficulty. Dr. Ladner agreed that family structure is highly influential in students overall performance in school. Mr. Zamora stated that the problem is that Spanish-speaking ELLs are often less likely to have books in their homes, or live in homes where they are encouraged to read. Thus, these students are often unable to read in their native language, so that when they take tests in their native language, Mr. Zamora continued, the tests are often inaccurate measurements of their ability. 67 Vice Chair Thernstrom asked Dr. Ladner why these children were not learning to read by third grade and specifically whether the misguided use of whole language reading instruction was, in part, responsible. She stated that if we impugn the entire education system it becomes too complicated to address in any meaningful way. Dr. Ladner disagreed, asserting that 63 See Florida Dept. of Education, Office of Independent Education & Parental Choice, McKay Scholarship Program, (accessed Jan. 30, 2009). 64 See Jay P. Greene, Marcus A, Winters, The Effect of Special Education Vouchers on Public School Achievement: Evidence From Florida s McKay Scholarship Program, Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, Civic Report, No. 52, April 2008, (accessed Jan. 30, 2009). 65 Minorities in Special Education, Briefing Transcript, p Ibid., pp Ibid., p. 132.